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Groups work to change stigma on mental health to lower state’s suicide rate

Gabriel Jourden, with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Carrie Blumert, with the Wellness Now Coalition, speak about the event Silence the Stigma being held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Putnam City Baptist Church to help change the stigma that surrounds mental health and hopefully lower Oklahoma’s suicide rate.

Groups work to change stigma on mental health to lower state’s suicide rate

Gabriel Jourden, with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Carrie Blumert, with the Wellness Now Coalition, speak about the event Silence the Stigma being held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Putnam City Baptist Church to help change the stigma that surrounds mental health and hopefully lower Oklahoma’s suicide rate.

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Updated: 11:02 AM CDT Aug 19, 2016

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WEBVTT IT IS 9:48 A.M.. STEVE: OKLAHOMA HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST SUICIDE RATES IN THE COUNTRY. I AM JOINED NOW BY THE COALITION. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO START WITH YOU. AROUND HERE AS JOURNALISTS, WE ARE TOLD NOT TO TALK ABOUT SUICIDE BECAUSE EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT CAN INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF THERE BEING MORE SUICIDE. ARE YOU TRYING TO REFRAIN THAT CONVERSATION? GABE: WE ARE. WE ARE TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE STIGMA. WE WANT PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT IT WHERE IT'S NOT A TABOO SUBJECT ANYMORE. STEVE: WE'VE HEARD THAT TALKING ABOUT IT WILL LEAD TO MORE OF IT. IS THAT THE CASE? GABE: WE ARE FINDING THAT IT DOESN'T LEAD TO THAT. IT DOES NEED TO BE OUT IN THE OPEN. CARRIE: WE ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT IT AND FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT IT. THE PANEL WE ARE DOING IS TO LET PEOPLE LAST QUESTIONS AND GIVE PEOPLE THE CORRECT INFORMATION AND WORDS TO SAY IF THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT A FRIEND. HOW'D YOU ASK A FRIEND IF YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT THEM? WHAT YOU EVEN SAY? WE WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE GOOD WORDS. STEVE: THE PROBLEM'S MENTAL HEALTH AND IT GETTING PEOPLE CARE. CARRIE: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO SEEK CARE. WE ARE TRYING TO LIFT THE STIGMA SO PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE SEEKING CARE IF THEY NEED YOUR IT GABE : THE STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN OKLAHOMA, WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH FUNDING. PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE. WE ARE WORKING TOWARD THAT AS WELL. STEV IS THAT MAKING THE JOB TOUGHER? GABE: WE JUST SAW THAT DHS HAS CUT FUNDING 28211 SERVICE. THAT IS FOR PEOPLE CALLING INTO MENTAL HEALTH HELP. STEVE: I ALWAYS LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP PEOPLE AT HOME. IF PEOPLE ARE SITTING AT HOME CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEBODY, ONE OF THE SIGNS? CARRIE: THEY CAN BE DIFFERENT FROM PERSON TO PERSON. IF THEY ARE EXHIBITING DEPRESSED BEHAVIOR, NOT WANTING TO GAIN -- ENGAGE. IF THEY ARE CLOSED OFF. IF THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, THAT IS A HUGE INDICATOR. JUST SEEN A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR AND THAT 70 THAT IS IT NORMAL FOR THAT PERSON. IT'S HARD TO IDENTIFY STEPS ONE THROUGH 10 IT'S THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH THAT PERSON AND SEEING SOMETHING THAT IS VERY OUT OF CHARACTER THAT TRIGGERS SOMETHING IN YOU THAT SOMETHING MIGHT NOT THE RIGHT. STEVE: THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE PUTNAM CITY BAPTIST CHURCH.

Groups work to change stigma on mental health to lower state’s suicide rate

Gabriel Jourden, with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Carrie Blumert, with the Wellness Now Coalition, speak about the event Silence the Stigma being held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Putnam City Baptist Church to help change the stigma that surrounds mental health and hopefully lower Oklahoma’s suicide rate.